Forensic biologist Debbie Glidewell insists the work at the new U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory at Fort Gillem lacks the high emotion, suspense and pathos that people expect from television shows like "CSI."

But sometimes reality tops television.[snip]

The lab has a special department to examine documents, such as a threatening letter a rape victim received from her unknown attacker.

Angry that the woman had reported the crime to police, the man created a letter by cutting letters of the alphabet from newspapers, said documents expert Marvin Reid. The letters were pasted onto a lined sheet of paper to form a crudely worded threat: "Don't tell or you'll die."

Document examiners tested the paper and recovered the impression of an earlier letter written on the same note pad. That impression included a major clue: the rapist's signed name.[snip]

The lab's firearms expert, Don Mikko, told a story that proved nobody can predict how a case will end.

A recent investigation started with an AK-47 assault rifle shell pulled from the abdomen of an American soldier serving in Baghdad, Iraq.

The lab's firearms experts examined the shell and found no rifling marks, which meant the shell had not been fired from any weapon. How was the solider wounded?

"Turns out the soldier went into the field, made an incision in his abdomen and inserted the shell to make it look as though he'd been wounded," Mikko said.

"He wanted a Purple Heart."

Not very flattering on the soldier, but damn good detective work. Of course, I think some soldiers I know would be happy to have this schmuck join them on their patrols where the chances of purple hear winning will go up considerably.

Any how, an interesting article on the future of military forensic capabilities. Frankly, I said last year that the military was going to have to start acting like a police outfit in some countries with detective work and smashing small time criminals if they want to dry up terrorist facilitators, money and transport of people.

I think this would be a good start. They need to get those little tin cans put together for forensic teams in the field if they don't have any yet.